Queen's Athletics & Recreation is excited to provide virtual get active workouts and fit tips to assist the Queen's and Kingston community in staying active and finding new ways to workout and maintain physical activity as part of your daily self-care routine.
Athletics & Recreation's department of Recreation and Active Living will be releasing daily get active workouts that can be done from the comfort of your own home. "We understand that our community is adjusting to social distancing and feeling cooped up at home can lead to sedentary behaviour. Our hope is to provide inspiration to take some time and get active," shares Gareth Cunningham, Associate Director, Recreation and Active Living at Queen's University Athletics & Recreation.
Through our @QueensARC social media accounts, Athletics & Recreation will be releasing daily Get Active videos and workout to encourage physical activity at home. Join us on Friday's for a Facebook Live event at 12 noon. One of our amazing staff members will be providing a live, social workout.Â
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ARC Get Active Workouts and Fit Tips
ARC Personal Trainer Tips
Office Exercises
Equipment modifications
We understand that most people don't have a home gym and equipment that may be used in the videos, we encourage you to be creative and try the workout with some of these modifications.
Instead of a kettlebell use a bottle of laundry detergent (with a handle)
- Tip: perform a kettlebell swing, making sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of each movement.
Need some hand weights? Try soup cans or a bag of flour/sugar (place flour/sugar in a zip-lock bag to prevent spills)
- Great for: High-repetition movements such as biceps curl pulses, overhead triceps extensions, and platter-serving extensions to build upper body muscular endurance.
- Great for: Basic bodyweight moves such as squats and lunges
Instead of a workout bench try a folding chair
- Tip: To perform a triceps dip, start sitting on the chair with your hands at your sides, fingers wrapped around the edge of the seat. Extend legs to form a straight line from ankles to hips. Lift your torso about two inches in front of the chair. This is your starting position. Slowly lower down until your elbows form a 90-degree angle, then press back to start for 1 rep. Repeat for desired reps.
- Tip: Rest an arm on the chair while you perform bent-over single-arm rows with a milk jug or simply use it to rest your feet on while executing decline push-ups or Bulgarian split squats.
Instead of a yoga mat use a beach towel
- If you prefer a thick mat, double up the beach towels!
Don't have a BOSU ball at home? Try a couch cushion
- A couch cushion can serve a similar purpose. Start simple with 3 sets of 12 deep squats with your feet on the cushion or bicycle crunches seated on the cushion.
Need a cardio machine? Use the stairs!
- Set a goal of number of flights and add 25% each day.
Don't have a weighted bar? Use a broom handle. The weight might not be the same but the motion is.
- Grab a broom with a wide overhand grip and start with it in front of your hips. Bring the bar up overhead then behind your head and down toward your glutes. Return to start for 1 rep.
Need a substitute for a resistance band?
- Try Robe Ties or Nylons for additional resistance.
Want to add some extra weight?
- Add some soup cans or water bottles into a backpack  as a weighted vest.
Want to make your pushups harder?
- Use a basketball to create an unstable surface that will activate hard-to-train muscle groups in a way that traditional pushups wont. Start off slow and focus on maintaining balance, then add movement.
More modifications will be added every week, so check back often.Â
Queen's Yoga Club - Yoga Tips
Athletics & Recreation's student-led Queen's Yoga Club has also put together some additional digital yoga resources from some of their partner clubs and instructors. View their list of online resources atÂ
queensyogaclub.com
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ZUMBA on demand with PamÂ
Join ARC ZUMBA instructor Pam Murphy for ZUMBA on demand.Â
Click here and enjoy a class at your own leisure. All classes are free no payment required!
How:
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Below are some additional strategies to maintain physical activity and fitness courtesy
exerciseismedicine.org:
Aerobic Activities
Indoor Activities
- Put some music on and walk briskly around the house or up and down the stairs for 10-15 minutes 2 or 3 times per day.
- Dance to your favourite music.
- Jump rope (if your joints can handle it).
- Do an exercise video.
- Use home cardio machines if you have them.
Outdoor Activities
- Walk or jog around your neighbourhood (avoid crowded spaces).
- Be active in a local park. Spending time in nature may enhance immune function. Be sure to wash your hands when you get home.Â
- Go for a bicycle ride.
- Do gardening and lawn work (Spring is around the corner!).
- Play active games with your family.
Muscle Strength Training
- Download a strength workout app to your smartphone, such as the 7-Minute Workout (no equipment necessary).
- Do a strength training video.
- Perform yoga – deep breathing and mindfulness can also reduce anxiety.
- Find ways to do simple muscle strengthening exercises around your house such as:
- Squats or sit-to-stands from a sturdy chair
- Push-ups against a wall, the kitchen counter or the floor
- Lunges or single leg step-ups on stairs
Don't sit all day! For example:
- If watching TV, get up during every commercial (or periodically) and do a lap around your home or an active chore. For example, throw some clothes in the laundry, do the dishes or take out the garbage. Feel productive after just one show!
